Anandamayi Ma
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Philosophy
She rose above caste, region, religion
Anup Taneja, Anandmayi Ma: Everything Comes From One Light, August 27, 2020: The Times of India
A devotee once asked Anandmayi Ma: “To what caste do you belong and where is your home?” She responded, “From your worldly standpoint this body belongs to East Bengal and is Brahmin by caste; but if you think beyond these artificial distinctions, you will understand that this body is a member of one human family.” Consciousness is present in all. Ma’s approach transcended all barriers of caste and religion, and endeared her to all. Little wonder that wherever she went, people from different walks of life thronged just to have a glimpse of her.
Ma taught profound spiritual truths in simple language, devoid of jargon and complexity, which an average person could easily understand. These were based on direct experience of Truth in deep meditation and were not from books. Even as a child, Ma showed signs of being highly evolved spiritually; the moment she heard the Divine Name being chanted, she would spontaneously slip into a spiritual trance for hours together. With the intuitive knowledge that she gained, she declared that everything that one perceives is because of Divine Light, that the outer light originates from an inner light, and that the light of the Self is the same in all. “Whether one worships Christ, Krishna, Rama or Kali, one actually worships that one Light, which pervades all things.”
During an informal interaction with devotees she spoke of a mystical experience which culminated in realisation of the eternal Self. Seeing her own body as a luminous figure expand infinitely in all directions, she was left completely wonderstruck. The quality of this Divine Light was so magnificent that she could find no words to express its ethereal beauty. She simultaneously saw other forms of light emanate from the Divine Light which appeared in different hues – sometimes bluish, sometimes yellowish and at other times crimson. Seeing these lights of great brilliance, she lost body-consciousness and experienced a dazzling luminosity encompassing the entire universe. She saw the entire cosmos within the infinitude of her being. This was the supra-causal state where Consciousness in its purest, undifferentiated and eternal form is cognised.
Realisation then dawned upon Ma that the wondrous universe of myriad diversities, despite being unreal, appears to be real because of the movement of mind which keeps fluctuating. In contrast, that which remains unchanged and eternal is the Supreme Truth; and to realise this Truth is the supreme calling of every human being. Mere intellectual inquiry, according to Ma, is not enough to know the Truth; one has to make sustained effort over a prolonged period to get the desired results. Through regular practice of meditation combined with chanting of the Divine Name, the seeker should endeavour to delve deep into the innermost chambers of her being.
The path of Divine contemplation, said Ma, is akin to walking on the razor’s edge; only a rare seeker succeeds in experiencing the highest level of consciousness. Nevertheless, the seeker who remains steadfast in his practice and adopts an attitude of unconditional surrender, will, at some stage, find the free flow of the blessings of the Supreme Being upon his soul, “Just as a bucketful of water comes out of a well only when the rope to which the bucket is tied is being pulled.” (Anandmayi Ma entered mahasamadhi on August 27, 1982)
Teachings
Three Aspects
Anup Taneja, August 27, 2019: The Times of India
Always clad in spotless white, Anandmayi Ma was the very epitome of simple living and high thinking. Her magnetic aura drew towards her devotees from different walks of life. Little wonder that Sri Ma was among the most influential spiritual teachers of the modern era.
The words of wisdom uttered by Sri Ma impacted many, as these were not hollow words based on study of books; these were based on her direct experience of Truth through deep meditation. Her teachings were therefore simple, easy to understand, and devoid of any complex trappings.
There are three main dimensions to Sri Ma’s teachings, which are briefly explained below. First, to work in the spirit of divine service.
Sri Ma firmly believed that whatever work one has to do, should be done with a singleness of purpose, contentment and joy. In all human activities, let there be a live contact with the Divine and you will not have to leave off anything. Your work will then be done well and you will be on the right track to attain enlightenment. All the worldly activities should be done with sincerity, love and devotion, with a firm conviction that true living means virtually perfecting one’s spiritual existence in tune with the universe.
Sri Ma said: “When I sat down and prepared food, I did with the feeling that the food, after all, was meant for God. Whatever I did, I did in the spirit of Divine Service. Hence, I was not worldly, though always engaged in household affairs. I had but one ideal, to serve all as God, to do everything for the sake of God.”
Second, show equal respect for other religious belief systems. It was Sri Ma’s conviction that all religious belief systems led to the same God and therefore deserved to be equally respected. She advised her devotees to adopt a magnanimous approach in matters relating to religion and not to adopt a parochial and fanatical attitude. This is best illustrated by the following example.
Once, in January 1926, when Sri Ma was staying in Dhaka, she, along with a few of her disciples, including a Muslim named Maulvi Ziauddin Hussain, decided to pay obeisance at the dargah of a renowned Sufi faqir named Shah Saheb. There, Sri Ma, to everyone’s surprise, began to perform the namaaz in chaste Arabic in a flawless manner. Seeing Ma perform the namaaz with deep devotion, other disciples too, including the Maulvi, joined her. The Maulvi kept looking at Sri Ma in utter disbelief, wondering how, despite being a Hindu, she managed to attain proficiency in the performance of namaaz!
The thrid dimension is the mantra japa. Sri Ma strongly recommended the technique of practising mantra japa, repetition of the divine name everyday during meditation, with utmost tenacity. She suggested that seekers should set apart around 30 minutes every day – preferably in the early morning hours – and strictly adhere to the routine. During these 30 minutes all worldly activities are to be strictly avoided and the seeker’s entire attention should be focussed on the remembrance of God.
Before starting his sadhana, the seeker should bow before the image of the Lord and offer to him “all thoughts, desires, sense-impressions, love, affection, devotion, just like emptying the contents of a full pitcher to its last drop”, said Sri Ma.
